Flashback Japan Sept/Oct 2013: Meeting Kazuki and Kaoru (Asakusa/Ueno/Tsushima)

I'm totally tired at the moment, because my university's schedule is kinda messy and horrifying... Anyway, as I promised, I spend my little free time now to share some more experiences (and of course photos (o´罒`o)♡ ) with you! Please be aware that this entry will contain a LOT (I mean, really, a lot) of photos - so if your internet connection is rather weak or if you're surfing via your smartphone, please consider long loading times .3.! 

Otherwise: Please enjoy! ☆

_____________

September 29

_____________

I already contacted Kazuki (an old friend from Tokyo, who visited us in March, by the way! :'D ) that we're going to Tokyo when I was still in Germany. He insisted to show us around, because when he visited Germany, Caro and me also did a little sight-seeing tour for him and his father. Because of that, he made up a schedule and a plan, and organized like EVERYTHING for this day!  Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟﾉ)ﾉ

We made an appointment at our hotel, because Kazuki said that it miiiight be a little bit difficult to find us at the station - because it's enormous! So he picked us up at around 10:00 a.m., to head over to the station together to go to Asakusa. Kazuki's father gave us some "one-day-tickets" as a gift, so we didn't have to pay for all those rides on the train and stuff. I totally didn't expect that, but Kazuki said that this was his "thank you" for the tour we did with them. I didn't know what to say, to be honest. I was just totally happy and thankful (,,•﹏•,,)♥ Even though that it totally felt weird.

Arriving at Asakusa Station, we also met Kaoru, who's one of Kazuki's friends! Both of them (because they're both interested in Germany and the German language) asked us whether we could also talk to them in German from time to time, haha! ☆ 

After exchanging presents and some o-miyage from Germany (like Germany chocolate, some sparkling wine which can only be bought in the place where I live (for Kazuki's father) and other stuff), we started our "journey". We didn't have to walk for long, when we already could see the entrance. Even though the (quite popular) big clock was under construction/maintenance, I already had some kind of "whoah!"- feeling. I think even in  the state of being under construction, it already looks pretty! 

(Another gate you had to pass if you wanted to go to the Asakusa Sensô-ji. It was guarded by two oni-like guardians - who weren't oni!! (Maybe they're hard to see, they're in the 'boxes' on the right and the left).

Walking further, we saw it: Sensô-ji. I think it looked totally amazing - and it was SO BIG?!

At the entrance, there was something which could be compared with a wishing well (even though it wasn't a fountain, of course..!). People (and we did so as well) threw coins into this wishing well and prayed for the temple. As Kazuki said, the money which is "earned" in this process, will be used to refurbish the temple and to keep it up. 

The following pictures can be seen inside of the temple, if you look up at the ceiling. I didn't want to rotate the pictures so you can see them just like I did :) 

 

We left the temple (which is a buddhist temple, by the way) through a side door to a small - let's call it - 'backyard', featuring a promenade as well. 

 

We bought some Japanese ice cream, consisting on finely crushed ice and some syrup. Raya chose lemon, why I decided to try peach! It was so refreshing and delicious - and funny, because the syrup colored our tongues!! So mine was totally neon-pink afterwards ( //∀//)♥

Also, we decided to get some O-mikuji (which is comparable to horoscope or furtune cookies (which were inspired by those o-mikuji, obviously!)) and Raya even got a great blessing (dai-kichi). As for me, I only received a small blessing - which is still a good thing, though! ヾ(〃´∇`)/ Anyway, if you're not that happy with your 'luck', you can just fold it and tie it - in this case - to a wall of metal bars (It's seems to be also quite commong to tie them to pine trees as well). Well, I decided to tie it to the bars, so it says that it will increase my luck and my bad luck will be bound to my o-mikuji instead of haunting me ε-(´∀｀*)

After buying some o-miyage (= souvenirs) for friends, we decided to have lunch in a small restaurant. I ordered omu-raisu (it's flavoured rice and some meat inside an omlette. I love it ;A; ) and a miso-soup, which was a set. Water was - like always - free. 

(I also had a beer, which was like a hot topic for Kaoru and Kazuki. They both laughed a lot when I ordered it, because they said it was "sasuga doitujin" (= as they expected from a German) (^^ゞ　I'm sorry whether I provoked the stereotype... _ _! )

We then headed off to Ueno by foot. Actually, it was quite a long way, but it didn't feel like that at all. I don't know whether it was because we were in a good mood, slept well or if we were just amazed by all those impressions ^^;

(I totally had to take a photo of that, because I didn't expect GERMAN in Asakusa. Anyway, it's not what German people would call a "Heim" , but rather a regular appartment building. Nobody knew why the name was German, though....)

The following pictures show a tomb, including a graveyard as well. We didn't know what kind of "temple" it was, so we asked Kazuki. First, he wasn't sure about that either, but then we noticed all those tombstones. Actually we didn't want to enter, because we were afraid that it might be respectless to go into a tomb just for "sightseeing", but Kazuki said that it was okay, so we walked around the tomb to find a door and some person in power.  

When we found a door, we heard some bells and voices and Kazuki suddenly explained - surprised by himself - that there was a furneral going on just at that moment. In this case, we absolutely didn't want to enter, because we were afraid to disturb the obsequies, but we went to the main gate to take some more pictures. 

 

We went on, and 'finally' arrived Ueno Station. I must be honest now, I really took pictures of the station, and also of a little "cat-shrine" we saw on our way, but I absolutely don't find those pictures, even if they actually really should be in the same folder... (?? ;A; ).

We took a little rest and drank some iced coffee inside of a café within the station before we walked along.

(A "watchdog". There are always two in front of a shrine, who should protect it.)

(This shrine was so pretty! There were Tokugawa-signs all over, so I think it can be dated around 1600 ? )

When it was starting to get late, we arrived at the Ueno Park. We walked around the big lake, watched some carps and just enjoyed the atmosphere. It was kind of weird, though, because there were couples like EVERYWHERE (I mean, I totally can understand that. I think it might really be a great place to date, because it's kinda romantic, calm ... and you can also buy some foods |'D ).

(Carps. I think they were rather creepy lol. Anyway, they only jumped like crazy because someone was feeding them)

To end the evening, we went to Tsukishima to eat one of the most delicious Japanese dishes. Okonomiyaki ;3; (it could be translated with "fry what you like").  And hell yeah, that's what it is.  It's often called "japanese pancake", because it consists of batter and you...well. Fry it.
We ordered two different component-sets (each with batter, of course), and we had to stir (and fry them!) them by ourselves (๑´ڡ`๑)
Kazuki also wanted me to try to flip one of them - and of course I was so nervous because I thought I better shouldn't mess this up, otherwise the okonomiyaki would be broken - but I did it! :'D   

(The "pan" at our table)

(Okonomiyaki and some mushrooms)

(My piece of Okonomiyaki, with okonomiyaki-sauce and japanese mayonaise <3)

As a dessert, we had frozen strawberries filled with vanilla ice cream. I never ate something similar to that, but I loved the idea and I actually think that it should be easy to make them at home, too!  ☆ As soon as it's strawberry-time again, I want to try that by all means!

(...beer again, haha. I think it's weird, because I rarely drink beer in Germany - but I love Asahi beer, so I just fell for it once again ''orz Japan, what are you doin' to me?)

It was a funny day, and we got so much to see. Kazuki really did a good job on his 'plan' and showed us places where we surely wouldn't have gone to without his guidance :') 

Unfortunately, Kaoru and Kazuki didn't have any time to meet up again to go to Karaoke together, because Kaoru was busy with her part-time job and Kazuki had some preparations going on for some exhibition his company wanted to attend. 

Nevertheless we already made some appointments for the time he (and maybe Kaoru as well?) will come to Germany again :) It's our turn again then!